MIDEAST >Two Palestinians shot dead by Israeli truck driver: police

Two Palestinians were shot dead by an Israeli truck driver after they tried to steal his vehicle in the south Hebron Hills on Sunday morning, Israeli police said.

Palestinian officials confirmed the two deaths but had no information about the circumstances of the shooting which took place at the Shani junction near Al-Samua, in the southernmost part of the West Bank.

Israel police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident occurred after the two men tried to attack the truck driver.

"Two Palestinians where shot when an Israeli truck driver opened fire at two or three attackers who tried to steal his vehicle," he told AFP.

"Before he opened fire, the driver was seriously wounded by his attackers who hit him on the head. The hospital has since informed us that the two Palestinians were killed," he added.

Yatta Mayor Zaharan Abu Qbeita confirmed the two died after being hit by several bullets in the neck area, with the bodies taken to Yatta hospital.

The two men were named as Anwar Abed Rabbo, 35, and Naim al-Najjar, 29, both of whom lived in the Yatta area.